The Panthers can forget about staying perfect all year. A 21-7 loss to Northgate in which Starr’s Mill gained a season-low 167 yards of offense clinched that fact.

“[Northgate] played a little bit more hungry tonight,” head coach Chad Phillips said. “Last year we knocked them out of the playoffs, and I think they had a chip on their shoulder. Every once in awhile you have to tip your hat and say ‘they were better,’ and they were better that night.”

Northgate broke the game open on the first play. Viking junior running back Ton Evans ran 62 yards, then scored on an 18-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead before the first minute was over.

“They hit us in the mouth a few too many times,” senior defensive back Matt Mullins said. “We left it all on the field, and if we play them again, we’ll get them. This isn’t going to be the seniors’ last game.”

After several punts by each team, Evans scored again with 6:08 left in the half on a 10-yard run after Northgate blocked a punt by sophomore punter and defensive back Ryan Cockes, giving the Vikings a short field from the 30-yard line.

It was one of many punts for the Panthers in the first half, with five of six possessions ending with a punt. The other possession was a missed field goal by senior kicker Whittaker Chu to end the half 14-0 for the Vikings.

“They was more physical than us,” sophomore running back Rico Frye said. “They had a bigger chip on their shoulder than us that night.”

The defensive showcase continued into the start of the second half, and each team punted after the opening two drives. However, the Panther offense began to show the strength that helped them win the season’s previous 8 games. the explosiveness the offense has shown this season. Sophomore quarterback Joey DeLuca, who completed five of 11 passes for 100 yards, found a streaking Munerlyn for a 62-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to seven. It was DeLuca’s seventh touchdown pass of the season. 

“Joey has really grown into that position,” Phillips said.  “He is one of the best sophomore quarterbacks we’ve ever had. He has a chance to be something special. At this point now, he’s a junior player and he’s starting to play like one.”

On the next possession, Northgate managed to make it inside the redzone and Evans looked to have his third touchdown of the night. A sweep play to the outside from the 4-yard line looked like a touchdown, but a hit by a Panther defender knocked the ball out of Evans’ hands on the 1-yard line and the ball went out of bounds in the endzone for a touchback, giving the Panthers the ball.

The offense moved down the field, including a 21-yard pass from DeLuca to senior wide receiver and defensive back Satchel Goodrich, but failed to keep the drive going past their own 48-yard line. However, an incomplete pass by Cockes on a fake punt with 9:31 left in the game gave the Vikings the ball back and Northgate took advantage. Four plays after the turnover on downs, Evans scored his third touchdown of the night on a 33-yard run, increasing the lead to 21-7 with 7:30 left in the game.

Evans finished with 205 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, while fellow junior Viking running back Kyle Cater finished with 94 yards on 21 carries. The two combined for almost all of the team’s 323 rushing yards.

“They had two really good running backs in [Evans] and [Cater],” Phillips said. “When they got a lead, they went back to what they do best which is pounding the ball. We just couldn’t get off the field on defense.”

There was still time to make a comeback, but the Panthers punted with 5:03 left in the game and Northgate held on for the rest of the game. It looked as if the Panthers would get the ball back when a penalty gave the Vikings a third and 25 situation on their own side of the field, but Evans weaved his way past multiple defenders to get the first down and keep the drive alive, essentially ending all chances of a Panther rally as the Vikings ran out the last five minutes of the game.

“They came to play and they beat us,” Munerlyn said. “We shouldn’t have had our heads down [at the end] but it’s all good. You can still lose a game and win a championship.”